Resident AAFP Leaders
Elected and Appointed Positions
Residents make significant contributions to family medicine as members of the wide variety of boards, commissions, and inter-organizational teams that shape the AAFP. Experience in a leadership role provides valuable career insight and unique mentorship opportunities.
Most resident leadership positions serve for a one-year term, many beginning in the fall.
As medical care and health care reform undergo pivotal changes, the voice of family medicine's next generation of physicians is critical in shaping a future that aligns with the core principles of primary care. Learn what drew current leaders to their roles and find out what they hope to achieve through their skills and passion for family medicine.
Elected National AAFP Leaders
Derek Southwick, MD
IU Health Ball Memorial Family Medicine Residency
Resident Member of the AAFP Board of Directors
"As Resident Member of the AAFP Board of Directors, I hope to elevate the voice of trainees while ensuring the Academy continues to meet the needs of family physicians at every stage of their careers. I want to strengthen pathways for leadership development, amplify advocacy around primary care workforce issues, and highlight innovations that improve both patient care and physician well-being. Most of all, I aim to be a strong, reliable bridge between residents and the Board, making sure our perspectives help shape the future of family medicine."
Taree Chadwick, MD
Swedish First Hill Family Medicine
Resident Chair of FUTURE
"Every time I attend our student and resident conference, I leave inspired — a feeling that stays with me throughout the year. Whether you're there to network, build clinical skills, explore residency options, write resolutions, or simply observe, Future offers a powerful platform to be seen, heard, and to find your community. It sparks a sense of purpose that lasts far beyond the conference itself. In this role, I hope to continue encouraging students and residents to discover their voice, pursue their passion, and find the community that will support them along their journey’s and in their career."
Maria Paula Castro Reales, MD
Central Iowa Health System- Waterloo
Resident Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates
"As a resident delegate, I am most excited to learn from the physicians who have come before me and are shaping the field of family medicine while simultaneously bringing a new perspective to modern problems. I also hope to encourage more young family physicians and residents to feel empowered and to engage in advocacy. At the same time, I believe it is essential to confront and reduce burnout by creating an environment where new physicians and residents feel heard, supported, and genuinely considered. I want to ensure that family medicine residents and students considering family medicine feel valued and recognize that they, too, can ignite meaningful change through active advocacy."
Claire Namboodri, MD
Novant Health New Hanover
Resident Delegate to the Congress of Delegates
"I hope to uplift the voices of residents nationwide by ensuring our training experiences, workforce challenges, and patient care realities are reflected in AAFP policy. My goal is to advocate for greater investment in primary care and address systemic barriers that threaten equitable access, while building consensus with colleagues to advance policies that strengthen both our profession and the communities we serve."
AAFP Commissions
Julie Ngo, MD
Henry Ford Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program (Detroit MI)
Resident Member of the Commission of Continuing Professional Development
"I am excited to help create engaging and future-driven work in continued professional development. I hope to ensure our field has the tools to stay at the forefront of medicine, as well as adapt to our ever-changing world."
Raekwon Timmons, DO
Mercy Health Anderson Hospital, Family and Community Medicine Residency Program
Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
"I hope to help advance policies and practices that truly ensure every patient and every physician—regardless of background or circumstance—feels respected, valued and supported. My goal is to help build lasting systems of equity in family medicine—where inclusion isn’t an initiative, but the foundation of how we care for one another."
Rachel Dunn, MD
University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Resident Member of the AAFP Commission on Federal and State Policy
"I hope to bring a new voice and energy to the passionate group of people fighting for family medicine and our patients. I am so excited to learn from those already doing this work and contribute to their mission."
Urvi Pandit, DO, Fellow
David Martin Graduate Student Leadership Forum Fellow
Resident Member of the AAFP Commission on Health and the Public Science
"I hope to elevate the voices and needs of trainees while helping shape evidence-based policies that advance health equity and improve public health outcomes. I aim to contribute meaningful insights that strengthen the scientific foundation of family medicine and support healthier communities nationwide."
Grace Kelly, MD
University of Florida
Resident Member of the AAFP Commission on Membership and Member Services
"I hope to gain more insight on how to improve and retain residents and new physicians as active members of the AAFP."
Sheryl Fuehrer, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Rochester) Program
Resident Member of the AAFP Commission on Quality and Practice
"As the resident member of the Commission on Quality and Practice, I hope to support recommendations that are patient-centered, practical, and kind to busy clinicians. I’m especially interested in preventive care, health equity, and reworking workflows that feel like they were designed in another century. If I can also help fellow residents feel more confident engaging in QI, all the better. Please reach out, I'd love to bring your ideas and suggestions to the table."
Caryssa Lim Chang, MD, MPH
USC Keck School of Medicine
Resident Member of the Commission on Education
“In my role, I hope to work with students and residents to expand opportunities for family medicine training in various practice settings, promote equitable learning and assessment methods within family medicine training, and advocate for the inclusion of timely and relevant curricular content in both family medicine clerkships and residency programs.In my role, I hope to further the mission and goals of FamMedPAC in supporting legislators and health policy initiatives that protect the family medicine profession, promote community welfare, and provide quality healthcare to our patients. I seek to encourage medical students, residents, and practicing physicians to join me in making a difference on Capitol Hill."
Representatives and Liaisons to Other Organizations
Angelika Kwak, MD, MPH
University of Chicago Family Medicine Residency
Resident Delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates
“As the AAFP Delegate to the AMA-RFS, I hope to amplify the voice of family medicine within organized medicine by advocating for policies that strengthen primary care, reduce barriers to patient access, and support resident well-being. I will ensure that family medicine has a strong voice in policymaking while empowering other residents and students to engage in advocacy, recognizing the importance of our collective voice. I also hope to mentor peers to engage in advocacy, building a strong pipeline of future leaders in family medicine. Above all, I strive to bring love and compassion into this work, grounding leadership in the values that define family medicine."
Garrett Knesse, MD
University of California San Diego-FMRP
Resident Delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates
Dr. Knesse represents AAFP resident interests at AMA meetings and interacts with AMA delegates from the AAFP.
"After many years of working with the Academy as a student and Resident leader, stemming from work with the family medicine interest group National leadership, Congressional delegations, and Commission on Education involvement, I am ecstatic to take the leap into representation of Family Medicine residents on behalf of the AAFP as a delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates. I hope to use my role as a representative and cumulative experience working alongside the academy to voice the interest, concerns, and aspirations for Family Medicine as they integrate with Medical Society largely and organized medicine as a whole. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with your comments, concerns, and interests should you have them surrounding our business with the AMA delegation."
Samantha Leadbetter, MD
Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana- Kalispell
Resident Member of the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees
"In my role as Resident Trustee, I hope to spread the word about the amazing work of the AAFP Foundation to residents and family docs near and far. The Foundation has amazing programs that I hope more people will apply for and engage in. I also hope to bring the resident perspective to Foundation meetings and help make sure that our perspective is taken into account."
Jantzen J. Faulkner, DO
OSU Center for Health Sciences (Durant) Program
Resident Member to the FamMedPAC Board of Directors
"In my role, I hope to further the mission and goals of FamMedPAC in supporting legislators and health policy initiatives that protect the family medicine profession, promote community welfare, and provide quality healthcare to our patients. I seek to encourage medical students, residents, and practicing physicians to join me in making a difference on Capitol Hill."
Michelle Le, DO
The Community-Based Family Medicine Residency Program at the Texas Institute for Graduate Medical Education and Research (TIGMER)
Resident Member to Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Residency Directors
"I hope to strengthen the resident voice in AFMRD decision-making, ensuring policies and resources reflect the realities of training and workforce needs. I aim to share best practices from my own program to help other residencies innovate and thrive. Ultimately, I want to foster collaboration across programs to grow the family medicine workforce and enhance the educational experience for all residents."
Komal Gangar, MBBS
University of Arkansas for Medical Science
Resident Member of the American Family Physician Journal
"As the AFP Resident Representative - I plan to bring a voice and vision of Residents role in Medical Education & Research. I hope to help shape content that supports trainees in developing strong clinical reasoning and staying grounded in patient-centered care. I aim to make the journal more accessible and engaging to Medical Students & Residents & promote diverse perspectives within the journal to better reflect the communities we serve. Ultimately, I hope my contributions help inspire other residents to engage with scholarship and leadership in our specialty."
AAFP Advisory and Program Boards
Timothy Ihongbe, MD, MPH, PhD
Texas Tech University Family Medicine Residency Program at the Permian Basin
Resident Member of the Annals of Family Medicine Editorial Advisory Board
"There is a growing need to strengthen engagement in primary care research among family medicine residents and students. As a member of the Annals of Family Medicine Editorial Advisory Board, I hope to help bridge this gap by promoting scholarly involvement among residents and students. Furthermore, traditional avenues for disseminating primary care research often times may not effectively reach resident physicians and students. I hope to contribute to expanding dissemination strategies by leveraging more accessible and pragmatic channels such as social media routes, to ensure that valuable research findings reach and resonate with the intended audience."
Ali R. Greenberg, MD, MSPH, MS
Family Medicine Residency Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC)
Resident Member of the STFM Board of Directors
"Now, more than ever, we must protect inclusive and representative learning spaces. As residents, we understand firsthand the need to integrate a DEIA framework and progressive mindset into every facet of training—from AI to immigrant health, from ultrasound to reproductive justice and gender-affirming care. These aren’t just abstract ideals—they’re essential to ethical, responsible, patient-centered medicine and are paramount at a time when the integrity of our healthcare system is already in jeopardy. As the STFM Resident Representative, I am eager to help champion a bold, justice-driven vision for medical education—one that reflects our realities and our resolve. I hope to serve, not just to represent, but to mobilize our collective insight to help drive forward evidence-based, sustainable, and impactful work in family medicine training and education and beyond."
